Houthi rebels in Yemen say they’ve shot down three MQ-9 Predator drones within the past week, raising the total number of downed drones to seven over the last two months.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the latest takedown came Tuesday when rebels shot down an MQ-9 drone while it was “carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Hajjah province.”
“The drone was shot down, using a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile,” he said in televised remarks this week. “The MQ-9 drone is the seventh drone we have shot down this April and the 22nd since November 2023.”
U.S. officials have not corroborated the total number of Predator drones shot down by Houthi rebels.
The Houth spokesperson added that, following the takedown, the fighters carried out military operations against two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Red Sea using drones and cruise missiles.
Since the new bombing campaign began last month, MQ-9 Predator drones have provided essential surveillance and reconnaissance data to U.S. operators. The drones cost around $28 million each, according to data from the Congressional Research Service.
While U.S. officials have confirmed that Houthi rebels have had some success in shooting down the expensive MQ-9 drones, few details have been offered on the U.S. airstrikes on the rebel group.
The Trump administration, which began a new bombing campaign against the Houthis on March 15, has said the new strikes are more intense than anything done during the Biden presidency.
Both presidents launched strikes on the fighters to stop the Houthis from targeting military and cargo ships moving through the Red Sea. The Houthis began targeting ships in late 2023 in response to Israel’s war against Hamas.
The effectiveness of the strikes against the Houthis is somewhat unclear. Many of the strikes target Yemen’s energy infrastructure. Last week, U.S. forces launched a strike against the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa Fuel Port, killing at least 80 people and injuring over 150, according to the rebels.
U.S. officials say the base was a central fuel hub for the Houthi rebels and its destruction will cripple the rebels’ ability to contniue striking at commercial ships in the Red Sea.
